How different types of alcohol can affect your mood

According to new research, different types of alcohol can affect your mood in varying ways.

Spirits are more likely to make you experience negative emotions according to new research. (Photo: Getty Images)

A recent study drew on responses from the world’s largest online survey of legal and alcohol use among adults, known as the Global Drug Survey. By collating information from 30,000 18-to-34-year-olds from 21 countries, the aim was to identify which types of alcohol influence certain emotions.

Findings indicated that spirits, for instance, are most likely to make you feel negative emotions ranging from aggression to sadness.

Additionally, only 20 percent of participants reported feeling relaxed after drinking vodka or rum. Men in particular were most likely to report feeling of aggression after consuming spirits.

Beer is most likely to make you feel relaxed. (Photo: Getty Images)

Co-author Mark Bellis wrote in the journal BMJ Open: “For centuries, the history of rum, gin, vodka, and other spirits has been laced with violence. This global study suggests even today consuming spirits is more likely to result in feelings of aggression than other drinks.”

However, spirits are also more likely to elicit happiness in comparison with beer or wine. More than half of participants experienced feelings of energy or confidence after drinking vodka or rum, with more than four out of 10 even reporting feeling sexy.

Red wine, on the other hand, is commonly associated with feeling relaxed: 53 percent of participants use the drink to chill out. And beer followed closely behind in second place.